


Autumn

by M3zzaTh3M3z



Category: Widdershins (Webcomic)
Genre: (I don't trust it to look after it), Bentober Challenge, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, bentober19, prompt: autumn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 02:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21228176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M3zzaTh3M3z/pseuds/M3zzaTh3M3z
Summary: Ben and O'Malley enjoy the first morning of Autumn.





	Autumn

When Ben stepped out into the crisp morning air, he could tell the season had finally changed. The official start of Autumn had been almost a week ago, but it had been a warm September, a continuation of summer really, and today was the first time the air had that edge to it, that new, clean feeling indicating the annual wheel had tipped into the next notch. Across the road, the grass of the park glinted with fresh frost, not yet trampled by people with no respect for proper paths. Ben smiled and slowly exhaled, his breath crystallising then dissipating in the air. 

He looked over and realised O’Malley was doing the same at his side, smiling with an almost childish delight as he watched the little clouds form, his cigarette forgotten in his left hand. Their eyes met and O’Malley’s smile widened with mischief.  _ Phoo. _ He blew a puff of clouds at Ben, then stuck his tongue out. 

“ _ Ugh, _ don’t breathe on me!” Ben said, recoiling. He rolled his eyes while O’Malley snickered to himself, and adjusted his scarf, bringing it closer to his mouth. “Where is Wolfe anyway? I thought he was right behind us.”

O’Malley, already bored with his frozen breath, lit his cigarette and took a drag. “Gone t’ look fer gloves an’ scarf an’ tha’. Bloody hates th’ cold.”

“And he couldn’t have done this  _ earlier, _ when I said ‘make sure you have your scarf, it looks cold today?’”

“I dunno.” With a shrug, O’Malley started pacing up and down the little stretch in front of the office, churning up some of the semi-frozen mud with his boots. “Reckon this’ll take long?”

Ben sighed. “How could I  _ possibly _ know? Why does it matter? It’s not like you’ve got anywhere to be.”

“‘Cause I want t’ go up th’ common after. Best kind o’ weather fer it, this is.”

Memories of long childhood walks with Granddad and Grandma and Vee filled his mind’s eye, bright cold blue skies and hovering birds of prey and even the disgusting sticky spider’s webs bunched in the gorse made beautiful and white by the water droplets. Ben smiled. “Yes, it is rather. I’m sure you’ll have a nice time.”

O’Malley looked at him, thick eyebrows bunched up in surprise. “Eh? Ain’t y’comin’ too?”

“Oh, I -” Ben hadn’t realised O’Malley’s statement had been an invitation too. It hadn’t sounded like one. But he recalled how for the first few weeks forced to live here O’Malley had hardly spoken except to argue, and often disappeared for hours at a time without a word. Things had changed a lot since then, and he’d hardly even noticed. “Yes, I’d like that,” he said.

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of my bentober bits, it's mostly here to keep it safe, hope you liked anyway.


End file.
